Hinged top carton



June 13, 1961 R. GUYER ETAL HINGED TOP CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 12, 1957 1N VENTOR Reyna/0's Guger BY @1 1 v2 ATTORNEY June 13, 1961 R. GUYER ETAL 2,988,262

HINGED TOP CARTON Filed July 12, 1957 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Reyna/d5 Gag/er BY {QM/h ATTORNEY Minn.

Filed July 12, 1957, Ser. No. 671,578 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-44) This invention relates to an improvement in hinged top cartons and deals particularly with a carton for use in containing cigarettes and the like.

During recent years the sale of cigarettes in cartons formed of carton board has very greatly increased. Cartons of this type protect the cigarettes when they are carried in the pocket and protect them from being bent out of shape as they normally are when contained in wrappers formed of thin paper. One of the difficulties lies in the fact that the margin of profit in the sale of cigarettes is extremely small, and packages formed of carton board add materially to the cost of production.

In order to be most effective, cigarette cartons must have a simple means of opening the carton to disclose the contents. In some instances, the carton has comprised a tray slideably supported in a sleeve, the tray being slideable from the sleeve to provide access to the cigarettes. In other instances, cigarette cartons have been provided with hinged lids which may be hinged back to permit removal of the cigarettes. Both such styles of cartons require more paper board than a regular paste end carton and are accordingly more expensive.

The present invention resides in the provision of a hinged top carton which requires no more paper board than a regular paste end carton of the size necessary to contain the cigarettes. At the same time, the carton includes a hinged top and all of the advantages usually found with that type of carton. A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton of rectangular form which is cut scored continuously about three of the panels or which is cut along certain of the panels and scored along others so that the carton may be easily opened. When the carton board is separated along the three adjoining panels the cover of the carton may be hinged back in order to permit removal of the carton contents.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a rectangular carton which is similar to a common type of paste end carton but which is glued in a somewhat different manner. In forming the carton, two of the flaps which normally form closing flaps on a paste end carton are folded back and adhered to the walls to which they are hinged. The line of connection between the panels and these two flaps is extremely weak so that the flaps may readily break away from the walls of the carton. These two flaps form extensions of the sides of the carton when the carton is opened and provide a means of normally holding the cover in a closed position.

Cartons have for many years been formed by providing an inner liner at the top of the carton and by providing the outer layer of the carton with cut lines extending along three adjoining sides with a fold line extending across the fourth side. The top of the carton is foldable into an out-of-carton closing position, the liner forming substantially a full length extension of the carton walls when the carton is open. It is a feature of the present invention to provide a carton of the same general type while eliminating the liner which obviously requires considerable extra carton stock..

-;A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton which is formed in general in a manner similar to a regular paste end carton including four tubularly connected walls with flaps hingedly connected to the ends of these walls, all of which are usually nite States Patent adhered together to form the closure. In the present construction, two opposed of these flaps are folded back into surface contact with the walls to which they are hingedly connected along readily severable lines of fold. Each of these flaps preferably includes a narrow flap extension foldably connected to the flap along a fold line, the extension extending along a side edge of the flap. In the completed form of the carton, these :fiap extensions extend at substantially right angles to the remainder of the flap thus stiffening the flap and further protecting the carton contents.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims:

In the drawings forming a part of the specification.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the carton with the cover hinged open to disclose the contents.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the carton without the contents.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the blank showing certain of the flaps folded back into surface contact with the walls from which they are hinged.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the upper portion of the empty carton.

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the wrapper which encloses the contents within the carton.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the front panel of the carton showing the manner in which the front panel is cut scored to permit the opening thereof.

The carton is constructed as best illustrated in FIG- URE 3 of the drawings and is designated in general by the letter A. The carton includes a rear panel 10, a side wall panel 11, a front panel 12, and a side wall panel 13 which are foldably connected along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16. A glue flap 17 is hingedly connected to the side wall 13 along a fold line 19. Closing flaps of generally conventional form are hingedly connected to the lower edges of the wall panels described. Closing flaps 20, 21, 22, and 23 are hingedly connected to the lower edges of the panels 10, 1'1, 12, and 13 along a common line of fold 24. In a similar manner, top flaps 25, 26, 27, and 29 are hingedly connected to the upper edges of the panels 10, 11, 12, and 13 respectively along a substantially common line of fold 30.

In the particular arrangement illustrated the flaps 26 and 29 are somewhat longer than the other closing flaps 25 and 27 and in a corresponding manner the flaps 21 and 23 are somewhat shorter than the flaps 20 and 22. By shortening the flaps 21 and 23, the flaps 26 and 29 may be extended without employing additional paper board as one flap dovetails into the other during the formation thereof.

As is also indicated in the drawings, the flaps 26 and 29 include lateral extensions 31 and 32 which make these flaps somewhat wider than the side walls 11 and 13 to which they are secured. The flap extensions 31 and 32 are connected to the flaps 26 and 29 along fold lines 33 and 34 which are preferably spaced inwardly or are inwardly offset from the fold lines 14 and 19 respectively. The purpose of this arrangement will be described more in detail.

The front panel 12 is provided with two out scores extending there across, one on the inner surface of the carton board and the other in the outer surface thereof. The .cut score 35 in theouter surface of the panel 12 is slightly below the level of the cut score 36 in the inner surface thereof.

However, the cut scores are continuous and extend entirely across the panel 12,

The glue flap 17 is provided with a transverse cut 37 which virtually severs the glue flap into two portions. The rear panel 10 is provided with a fold line 39 extending transversely there across which is registerable with the cut 37. The cut 37 and the fold line 39 are somewhat closer to the upper fold line 30 than are the cut score lines 35 and 36. Upwardly and rearwardly inclined cut lines 41 connect the ends of the cut score lines 35 and 36 to the juncture between cut line 37 and the fold line 19 and to the juncture between the fold line 39 and the fold line 14. While this specific formation of weakened lines of separation is preferred, obviously the arrangement may be varied substantially if desired and other forms of weakened lines may be employed. It is essential, however, that the portion of the carton above the cut lines 36, 37, 40, and 41 and above the fold line 39 be readily disconnected from the remainder of the front and side walls thus forming a cover which may hinge backwardly along the'fold line 39 to disclose the carton contents.

In the formation of the carton, the flaps 26 and 29 are folded back upon the side wall panels 11 and 13 the portions of the fold line 30 which connect these flaps 26 and 29 to their side walls include elongated cuts 42 and 43 which virtually sever the flaps 26 and 29 from the side walls to which they are hinged. Adhesive is provided as indicated at 44 and 45 upon end portions of the flaps 26 and 29 to adhere the end portions of these flaps to the main portions of the panels 11 and 13 below the level of the cut lines 40 and 41. The upper portion of the carton then appears as indicated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings with the ends of the flaps 26 and 29 adhered to the panels 11 and 13 respectively and with the lateral flap extensions 31 and 32 overlying the fold lines 14 and 19 respectively and also overlying portions of the rear panel 10 and of the glue flap 17 as shown in FIGURE 4.

The carton is sealed into tubular formation by adhering the glue flaps 17 to the marginal edge of the rear panel 10. When the glue flap 17 is folded into right angular relation with the panel 13 and when the panel 10 is folded into right angular relation to the panel 11 to which it is attached the flap extensions 31 and 32 fold into substantially right angular relation with the flaps to which they are secured and extend in a common plane inwardly of the rear panel 10. This is best illustrated in FIGURES 2 and of the drawings and accomplishes two results in the completed carton. In the first place, the folding of the flap extensions acts to strengthen and reinforce the flaps and to prevent them bending intermediate their ends. Furthermore, these inwardly folded members prevent the cover of the carton from folding inwardly of the flaps 26 and 29 when the cover is hinged from open position to closed position.

The bottom of the carton is closed in the conventional manner by folding the flaps 21 and 23 into a common plane and then folding the flaps 20 and 22 into surface contact to form a conventional bottom seal. The top of the carton is formed by folding the flaps 27 and 25 into overlapping relation and adhering these flaps together. The ends of the carton top are not connected to the end walls of the carton. However, when the flaps 25 and 27 are adhered together and secured in overlapping relation, the top of the carton is held square and connection with the end walls is not required particularly as the cartons are relatively small in size.

When used to contain cigarettes, the carton A is usually adhered together after the cigarettes have been placed upon the blank. The cigarettes may be wrapped in a foil wrapper such as that indicated by the numeral 50. This foil wrapper may be provided with a perforated line 51 extending across the same, this perforated line substantially coinciding with the cut score line 36 when the package is complete. The cigarettes are wrapped within the foil wrapper 50 and are confined thereby during the folding and sealing of the carton.

When it is desired to open the carton, a slight inward pressure is exerted against the front wall 12 immediately below the cut score lines 35, 36, such as might be applied by the finger and the pressure is applied throughout the width of the carton panel 12 by sliding the finger across the panel. This action causes the paper board to tear between the cut score lines 35 and 36 and the carton may be opened by hinging the top portion back along the fold line 39. During this action, the flaps 26 and 29 break away from the upper edges of the panels 11 and 13 and remain attached to the side walls 11 and 13 of the carton.

If the carton is used for containing cigarettes having a wrapper such as 50, the upper portion of the wrapper may be grasped and torn away from the remainder along the perforated line 51 leaving the lower portions of the cigarettes still encased in foil. The carton may be opened and reclosed, the flap extensions 31 and 32 guiding the cover into closing position and the flaps 26 and 29 normally holding the cover in closed position.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principles of construction and operation of our hinged lid carton, and while we have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

We claim:

1. The carton including a series of walls connected into tubular formation and including a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls, bottom closure flaps hingedly secured to at least some of said walls and secured in overlapping relation, closure flaps hingedly secured to the upper edges of said front, rear and side walls, a line of separation extending across said front wall spaced from the upper edge thereof and lines of separation extending across said side walls in continuation of the line of separation in said front wall, and a fold line extending across said rear wall connecting the ends of the lines of separation in said side walls, said flaps on said side walls being folded into surface contact with the side walls to which they are attached and anchored thereto beneath the lines of separation therein, the closing flaps on said front and rear walls being secured in overlapping relation, and flap extensions on the sides of the flaps connected to said side walls, said flap extensions extending in angularly related position to the flaps to which they are hinged and extending along and inwardly of said rear wall.

2, The construction described in claim 1 and in which said flaps secured to the upper edges of said side walls are connected thereto along weakened lines of connection.

3. The construction described in claim 1 and in which the weakened line of separation extending across said front wall includes a cut score extending across said front wall in the outer surface thereof and a cut score extending across said front wall in the inner surface thereof in parallel closely spaced relation to said first named cut score line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,610,501 Ellerman Dec. 14, 1926 2,011,438 Daller Aug. 13, 1935 2,401,417 Engle June 4, 1946 2,418,526 Reitman Apr. 8, 1947 2,608,341 Eckman Aug. 26, 1952 2,688,434 Udell Sept. 7, 1954 2,803,394 Ringler Aug. 20, 1957 2,824,684 Ahlers Feb. 25, 1958 

